The thunder faded into nothingness, and the dense storm clouds slowly dispersed. Warm sunlight poured down once more, bathing the land below in a gentle glow. Its golden rays fell upon the battered bamboo forest, revealing the devastation left behind—broken stalks, scorched earth, and deep pits scattered across the once tranquil ground.
At the center of the uneven clearing, illuminated by the returning sunlight, stood a lone figure.
Xiao Se.
Though his frame appeared slender and unassuming, at this moment, in the eyes of everyone present, his figure seemed incomparably tall—like a pillar standing firm after the storm, unshaken and resolute.
"Xiao Se, are you alright?!"
From the sky above, three figures descended swiftly. Xiao Yixian, Medusa, and Zhu Zhuqing—three women who shared the closest bonds with Xiao Se—were the first to arrive. Without hesitation, they rushed toward him from three directions, left, right, and center, throwing themselves into his embrace as if afraid he might disappear if they were even a moment too late.
Behind them, Zi Yan, Die, and Su Qian followed more slowly, landing one after another.
Seeing that Xiao Se was already completely occupied, Die puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She wanted to rush forward too, but there was clearly no space left. And hugging him from behind… that would feel far too deliberate.
She instinctively tried to stomp her foot in frustration—only to realize she didn't even have legs yet.
That realization made her even more irritated.
With three beauties in his arms, Xiao Se's lips curved into a faint, gentle smile. His voice softened as he said, "Don't worry. I'm your man, after all."
"Ahem."
An awkward cough suddenly sounded from the side. Su Qian stepped forward, his expression slightly helpless. "Xiao Se… maybe pay attention to your surroundings. There are quite a few people watching from the shadows."
As a Dou Zong, Su Qian's perception was naturally sharp. He had already detected numerous powerful presences lurking outside Feng City—figures from the Black-Corner Region who were eyeing the situation with greed but hesitating due to the presence of multiple Dou Zong-level experts.
None of them had escaped his notice.
"Heh… I know."
Xiao Se gently released the three women. With a casual motion of his hand, he drew two perfectly round medicinal pills into his palm. After placing them into separate jade bottles, he handed one of them to Die.
"Die, take this. Wait until we deal with those people lurking outside before refining it."
"Thank you." Die accepted the jade bottle with a bright smile, gently stroking its surface before carefully storing it in her storage ring, as if it were a priceless treasure.
"Xiao Se! Mine, mine!"
The moment Zi Yan saw that Die had received a Transformation Pill, her eyes lit up instantly. The little foodie rushed forward, blinking her large, innocent black eyes at Xiao Se, her expression pitiful and pleading in the most exaggerated way possible.
"Fine, you can have it," Xiao Se said, raising an eyebrow. "But don't swallow it directly. Otherwise, when you grow up, you'll end up exposing yourself in public."
He had no intention of letting this little girl cause a scandal in front of everyone.
Hearing this, Zi Yan's pretty face flushed bright red. She nodded vigorously, clearly taking the warning to heart.
Watching her adorable reaction, Xiao Se chuckled softly and handed over the jade bottle. Only after Zi Yan happily tucked it away into her storage ring did he gradually withdraw his smile. His expression grew serious as he exchanged glances with Xiao Yixian, Medusa, and Su Qian.
Then he turned to Die and said, "Die, take Zhuqing and Zi Yan back inside. We'll be back soon."
As he spoke, a pair of dark, ominous wings—the Evil God Wings—burst out from his back. With a powerful beat, his figure transformed into a streak of light, shooting rapidly toward the outskirts of Feng City.
Xiao Yixian, Medusa, and Su Qian followed closely behind, their figures vanishing into the sky.
Moments later, the four of them hovered above the gates of Feng City.
Xiao Se's gaze swept across the distant horizon. His voice turned cold and steady.
"Since you've come, why not show yourselves?"
The moment his words fell, a figure stepped forward from the empty sky.
It was an elderly man dressed in a yellow robe, a faint smile on his face as he walked through the air with calm confidence. As he drew closer, Xiao Se and the others noticed that the robe was embroidered with several golden pythons. Under the sunlight, they shimmered with a lifelike glow, as if they might slither off the fabric at any moment, radiating a strange and oppressive aura.
The appearance of the yellow-robed elder immediately stirred the guards below.
"That's… Mo Tianxing, the Sect Leader of the Black Emperor Sect?!"
"Wasn't it said that he broke through to Dou Zong ten years ago and has been in seclusion ever since?"
"I didn't expect Lord Sea King's pill refinement to draw even him out…"
In Feng City, Xiao Se was already known as the "Sea King"—a transcendent figure within the Sea King Palace, whose status even surpassed that of its Palace Master, the "Heavenly Poison Woman."
Hearing the murmurs below, Mo Tianxing remained indifferent. His gaze swept across Xiao Se's group, and a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"Hehe… I truly didn't expect the Sea King Palace to be hiding two Dou Zong experts and a seventh-grade alchemist," he said with a light chuckle. "And even Great Elder Su Qian of Jia Nan Academy is here."
He paused, then turned slightly, his tone shifting.
"Old Ghost Demon Flame… they've already discovered us. Are you still planning to hide?"
"Heh heh heh…"
A sinister, chilling laugh echoed through the air.
"Mo Tianxing, it seems your cultivation has improved quite a bit… to think you could actually detect me."
A blood-haired elder clad in a skeletal yellow robe stepped out from the void, appearing before them in an instant.
His face was gaunt to the extreme, skin stretched tightly over bone, making him resemble a walking skeleton. His sunken eyes flickered with an eerie glow, like ghostly flames dancing in the darkness—cold, unsettling, and filled with malice.
The moment he appeared, both Xiao Se's group and Mo Tianxing grew visibly more serious.
For the first time since encountering Bibi Dong, Xiao Se felt a sense of pressure from another person.
Although this old man was far inferior to Bibi Dong, his strength was still formidable—at the very least, a six-star or even seven-star Dou Zong.
But Xiao Se was not worried.
With Xiao Yixian's current five-star Dou Zong strength, combined with her Heavenly Poison Eight Wings and martial soul, she could contend with him. On top of that, Medusa and Su Qian were also present.
They were far from helpless.
"I wonder what wind has blown the leaders of the two top factions of the Black-Corner Region here," Xiao Se said calmly.
Mo Tianxing smiled. "Nothing more than curiosity. The pill thunder drew me here—I wanted to see which alchemist in the Black-Corner Region could refine a seventh-grade pill. I didn't expect it to be you."
He sighed lightly, his tone turning sincere.
"You are not only powerful, but your alchemy skills are unmatched. Compared to you, that late Han Feng was nothing more than a clown."
The Black Emperor Sect had only one Dou Zong—Mo Tianxing himself. Because of this, he was deeply wary of Xiao Yixian's strength.
Thus, he had chosen to turn a blind eye when the Sea King Palace annexed Feng City, the Earth Flame Sect, the Blood Sect, and Black Seal City.
And now, with Xiao Se—a seventh-grade alchemist capable of shattering pill thunder—alongside another mysterious Dou Zong and Su Qian…
He had even less reason to provoke them.
"You flatter me, Sect Leader Mo," Xiao Se replied evenly.
After all, one should not strike someone who offers kindness.
"Hmph."
The Old Ghost of Demon Flame snorted coldly, clearly disdainful.
"Mo Tianxing, you've really gone backwards. To think you'd lower yourself to flatter a few juniors."
He turned his eerie gaze toward Xiao Se.
"Boy, I'm quite interested in your alchemy. How about joining my Demon Flame Valley? I'll grant you a position beneath only myself—above all others."
"Sorry. Not interested," Xiao Se replied without hesitation.
The old ghost's expression darkened instantly.
"Brat… don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
The skeletal yellow robe around him began to flutter violently, despite the absence of wind.
"You're welcome to try."
Xiao Se flicked his right hand. The Demon Sword appeared in his grasp with a sharp gleam. At the same time, his left hand shot forward—
Golden flames burst forth from within him, surging outward like a raging tide.
In the blink of an eye, the flames spread across the sky like a vast ocean, engulfing the entire space in blazing gold.
Behind him, Xiao Yixian, Medusa, and Su Qian also unleashed their powerful Dou Qi, their auras rising sharply.
The air grew heavy.
The tension snapped tight.
A great battle was on the verge of eruption.
(End of Chapter)
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